Officials say a man who was found dead at the site of a three-alarm house fire in Hawthorn Woods last month died as a result of a gunshot wound and did not die from the fire.
The Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department responded around 3:10 p.m. on November 9 after a 911 caller reported seeing smoke and flames from a residence in the 0-100 block of Rosewood Drive in Hawthorn Woods.
Firefighters reported seeing a header of smoke from a distance as they responded.
Lake Zurich Fire Chief David Pilgard said at the time that crews arrived to find a house heavily involved in flames.
Pilgard said the fire had a “significant start ahead” of firefighters.
A defensive search of the home was conducted in an attempt to see if anyone was inside, Pilgard said.
Fire crews also conducted a defensive fire attack — using hose lines from the outside of the home.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the third alarm level, bringing in dozens of fire departments from Lake, McHenry and Cook counties.
Pilgard said two water supplies were set up. The fire occurred in a neighborhood that does not have fire hydrants and fire tender trucks had to be called to haul water to the scene.
“Unfortunately, the community doesn’t have fire hydrants so you see the extensive operation with all of the help we called in order to extinguish the fire,” Pilgard said at the scene.
A ladder truck and multiple hose lines flowed water to extinguish the fire.
Firefighters were challenged by an electric vehicle fire in the garage while simultaneously fighting the main source of the fire.
The fire did not spread to any neighboring residences. “Here in Hawthorn Woods these homes are on acre or larger lots, so we did not have any challenges by neighboring homes or exposures,” Pilgard said.
“It’s always sad when someone loses their home. It is a big challenge to us when we get here and the fire has extended so much for us to be able to save someone’s home,” Pilgard added.
The wood-frame single-family home was heavily damaged.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said that Sherman Della, 73, of Hawthorn Woods, was initially unaccounted for before being found dead the following day at the scene.
Pilgard said investigators from the MABAS Division 4 Fire Investigation Task Force responded.
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal was also called to assist in the investigation along with the Hawthorn Woods Police Department.
Banek initially said an autopsy was performed on Della and the results were pending further studies, toxicology testing, including carbon monoxide levels, and further investigation.
Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton told Lake and McHenry County Scanner on Thursday that the coroner’s office had closed the death investigation of Della.
Della’s cause of death was ruled to be from a shotgun wound to the head, Newton said. His manner of death was deemed suicide.
Newton said carbon monoxide levels from the fire were not a contributing factor in Della’s death.
Pilgard did not immediately respond Thursday in regard to an update on the fire investigation.